Author: rebeccaconnollydesign

Woven Textile Designer and Hand-Weaver. Creating fabrics for Interiors and Accessories, specialising in British Wool with Natural Dyes.

Bradford Textile Society Design Competition 2016 – Award Winners Ceremony and Exhibition

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At the Award Winners Exhibition. The final design and development samples of my handwoven fabric.
At the Award Winners Exhibition. The final design and development samples of my handwoven fabric.

I travelled up to Bradford with friend and fellow Bath Spa University Alumni, Rosie Smith, for the Bradford Textile Society Design Awards on 6th May. Entering the annual competition for the first time as Independent Designers, we both received a Commendation for our woven designs in British Wool.

In my designs I used wool from different sheep breeds in a range of thicknesses to weave fabric for ‘throws’ in two weights. The colours developed from working with a variety of natural yellow, red and grey dyes which I extracted from plant (or other) substances, layering one over another.

The samples were woven in my studio, by hand (and feet!) on my restored old wooden floor loom.

More information and images here

Article on New Designers 2015 in The Journal for Weavers, Spinners and Dyers

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JournalWeaversSpinnersDyers01 JournalWeaversSpinnersDyers02I was selected to show at New Designers, in June 2015, with fellow students from Bath Spa University’s BA (Hons) Textile Design course. The Journal for Weavers, Spinners and Dyers includes an article by Eve Alexander in their Winter 2015 edition, where she writes on the exhibits of 5 students, chosen on the strength of their weave collections which showcase designs in double-cloth.

The pieces of my work selected for New Designers were from my Degree Show, where I exhibited two collections: Natural Iceland and Urban Iceland.

See this page for more examples.

Bristol Cloth Awards

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BristolCloth
Taken at the Bristol Cloth Awards, held at ‘Lab Space’, Bristol.

The four short-listed designers were all invited to the award ceremony not knowing who the actual winner would be. In the end, the winner was Wendy Kotenko from Cornwall and I was runner up!

It was a lovely event and many of the people I spoke to showed their appreciation for my design and how much they liked it.

The Bristol Cloth Award evening and Textile Mingle was hosted by Bristol Textile Quarter, with representatives from various collaborators including Botanical Inks, Dash and Miller and the newly established Bristol Weaving Mill. It was held at the Bristol harbour side ‘Lab Space’, as part of the events marking Bristol as European Green Capital 2015.

Weaving for Beginners for Cotswold Conservation Board

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Stroudwater Textile Trust loaned this four shaft table loom for use on the course
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My four shaft counter balance floor loom, relocated to the visitors centre at the Old Prison, Northleach.

I have just taught my first course, Weaving for Beginners, as part of the Rural Skills Program that Cotswold Conservation Board/AONB offer to ensure that country skills survive.

The course offers hands-on experiences on a range of looms, from the simple rigid heddle and back strap, to a floor loom.

My floor loom has been relocated to the visitors centre where it will be on display and used in the weaving courses. The next course will take place on Saturday, 28th November.

Wool Week at Adam Henson’s Cotswold Farm Park

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Drop-in weaving sessions for children proved popular. They enjoyed being tied in into the simple back strap loom using a rigid heddle.
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This is where my Shetland wool comes from. This real character was happy to have his photo taken!
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This big beast is a Cotswold breed sheep by the name of Claudius. He did not want to look up or interact with me, perhaps that’s why the use of Cotswold wool has declined!
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This little girl stayed for ages and as it was the end of the day she was given the weaving to take home.

I was approached by the Cotswold Farm Park to come and weave with the public during Wool Week. I took several rigid heddle and back strap looms, ready warped up. Within minutes the children were weaving cheerfully and well. I also took a four shaft table loom on loan from Stroudwater Textile Trust for adults that wanted to explore ‘proper’ weaving.

Cambrian Wool Collection in London for Fashion Week

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Sian Lloyd and Jane Ashley at the launch of the Cambrian Wool Collection at London Welsh Centre for London Fashion Week 2015
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The launch of the Cambrian Wool Collection at London Welsh Centre for London Fashion Week 2015

The bench upholstered with my hand-woven fabric travelled to London with the collection. I met lots of lovely people at the launch, and everybody loved my bench!

Bristol Cloth Design Competition

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Sampling for Bristol Cloth competition design
Sampling for Bristol Cloth competition design

I have been short-listed for the Bristol Cloth Design Competition. My design was inspired by the large chains on the dockside in Bristol. The chain link design represents links in the community – links to the past, links between local producers e.g. the sheep farmers and dye maker who provided the raw materials for the competition.

Inside Out
Lucinda Burgess’ ‘Inside Out’

The chains are rusted on the surface but beneath this the metal is strong, clean and shiny.

The finalists are now on display at Bristol 2015: Green Capital LabSpace on the Harbourside in Bristol until the end of September, for the public to vote for their favourite. If you are in the vicinity, please vote for me!